Are free legals best for the client?

SortRefer has heard from brokers that remortgages which include a free legals package can be slow, lacking in communication and with the client not fully represented as the conveyancer works for the lender, not their client.

Kevin Tunnicliffe, CEO of SortRefer, said: “Free legals are a great idea and work well as a marketing highlight, but like a mirage they promise much, but are not necessarily in the best interests of the client.

“Brokers need to be able to inform their clients that on ‘free legals’ deals, the lender chooses a conveyancing business based more on cost than quality.
 
“This can often lead to delays and a lack of communication, which can slow down the transaction.

Haley Louise O’Reilly, mortgage and protection adviser at Coreco, added: “After my poor experience of ‘free legals’ transactions on multiple occasions, I now only recommend cashback deals for my clients.
 
“Communication and service are so much better and because we have a conveyancer working for us, I am able to respond quickly when any problems arise in the mortgage process.”